USS Ronald Reagan air wing completes certification

The Carrier Air Wing aboard the USS Ronald Reagan has completed qualification exercises following certification sorties from Sept. 9 to Sept. 12.

By

Stephen Carlson

USS Ronald Reagan is pictured on patrol in the Western Pacific. U.S. Navy photo

Sept. 14 (UPI) -- The Carrier Air Wing aboard the USS Ronald Reagan has completed qualification exercises following certification sorties from Sept. 9 to Sept. 12, the U.S. Navy announced on Thursday

Pilots from Carrier Air Wing 5 completed over 200 missions including four carrier landings per pilot.

"The combination of the Carrier Air Wing and the aircraft carrier is the backbone of U.S. Naval power projection capability," air operations officer Cmdr. Raymond Marshall said in a press release.

"With that team, we can deploy significant military power or render humanitarian aid anywhere in the world within a few days. What sets this team apart from other military capabilities is the indefinite persistence as soon as the commands deploy."

The USS Ronald Reagan and its Strike Group is attached to the 7th Fleet in the Indo-Pacific area of operations. It is a Nimitz-class nuclear powered aircraft carrier with a wing of 70 or more planes, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles.